Ambitious plans are moving forward for a new school in Calderdale to support up to 125 students with complex needs, after the UK Government’s Department for Education (DfE) confirmed a multi-million-pound grant to fund the new-build.
This ‘alternative provision free school’ will help children and young people aged 8 to 16 who need additional support. Short-term placements will give them targeted help and the best opportunity to thrive when they return to their usual school.
The new school will be created by Calderdale Council and Delta Academies Trust, who worked together to successfully bid for DfE funding. It will bring high-quality, specialist places to Calderdale and help meet increasing local demand by adding to the alternative provision support already provided in the borough.
The purpose-built school will help young people to benefit from a broad, enriching and inclusive curriculum. The school will follow Delta’s model, which is based on the DfE’s alternative provision Taskforce model of multi-agency working – providing all kinds of support that young people might need from different organisations in one place, including health, education and social care.
The new school will provide a state-of-the-art environment for students to learn in. It will offer a wide range of academic and technical subjects, with personal support, care and career guidance, which will give students the skills and knowledge to help them take their next steps in education, training or employment.
Cllr Adam Wilkinson, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, said:
“The years we spend at school play such an important part in the opportunities we have and the adults we become. We want that time to be as positive as possible for everyone, and for all young people to have a good start in life and the feeling of hope that’s central to our vision for Calderdale.
“We really welcome this additional investment in Calderdale and we’re happy to be working with Delta on a brand new alternative provision school, giving children with additional needs an extra helping hand so they can learn, achieve their best and thrive close to home. It will support our priority for prevention in our SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and Alternative Provision Strategy, giving young people the help they need as early as possible to prevent future issues.
“This school will provide services that are significantly different from any currently available in Calderdale for children who need additional support, and will bring new job opportunities to the area.”
Andy Barnett, Chief Executive Officer of Delta Academies Trust, said:
“We are excited at the opportunity to help shape, strengthen and deliver a foundational element of the Council’s vision and longer term strategy, to create an Alternative Provision school which will stand ready to provide a strong offer to future cohorts of the most vulnerable children and young people at a time when they are most in need.”
Jo Pittard, Executive Principal, Delta Academies Trust, said:
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to work in partnership with Calderdale Council to help support some of the most vulnerable children in the borough, providing opportunities for these students to reengage successfully with education.
“Our ambition is to provide a strong educational offer for all children that helps them thrive, achieve and be successful in their next destinations.”
Calderdale Council and Delta are awaiting confirmation from the Government about the timing of next steps for the new alternative provision free school.
Vision 34 is a shared, long-term ambition to work towards over the next 10 years to make Calderdale a better place for everyone, based on the stories that unite us. The Vision 34 themes are enterprising, opportunity, kind, welcoming, hope, heritage, nature and creativity. Through these themes, organisations and people from all walks of life are encouraged to share their positive stories about life in Calderdale.
Share your story on the My Calderdale Story website: MyCalderdaleStory.com(external link)